LJ b BB 59, Sweetwater 45

By Ed Piper

La Jolla's basketball team showed aggression early, signified by Jacob Duffy's driving basket to kick off the game, and built an early lead before securing a 59-45 win over Sweetwater in the Montgomery High summer league Wed., July 5.

The Vikings, exhibiting a heavily guard-powered attack, surged to a 16-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The starting quintet of Duffy, Jacob Ohara, Behzad Hashemi, Nick Hulmquist--all guards--and Charlie Gal, led 7-4 after six minutes of play.

Then Coach Paul Baranowski sent in a second platoon to complement Gal, consisting of the surprising Diego Solis, Gabe Solis, Evan Brown, and Otto Lenz, who then forced a 10-point lead after one period.

That "second platoon" remained in the game for much of the second quarter. Ohara, a guard, reinserted, was active with two buckets and two other attempts. Hashemi deposited a three from outside the left elbow with 7:45 left to put La Jolla up 24-12, then another from the top of the key with 5:34 left for a growing 29-13 bulge.

The Devils closed to within eight at the end of the half, 33-25.

Brown remained active, staying around the basket, as he put back his own miss for a score early in the third quarter. Ohara contributed his electric drives for a pair of field goals in the period as La Jolla played Sweetwater to a standoff.

Finally, Brown showed he wasn't going to take "just holding them" any longer, going up high to take a rebound with authority to begin the fourth quarter. His teammates seemed to follow his lead, with Diego Solis scoring on a putback of a Gal miss for 53-41.

Gal, the 6'6" rising senior, countered with his own putback of a Brown miss on a move with Evan's back to the basket in the center of the lane. La Jolla showed good discipline on that possession, reversing the ball several times to work Baranowski's offense. The Vikings led, 55-43.

Evan Brown would not settle for mediocrity down the stretch, as he scored inside with 3:20 left, then again on a drive from the left baseline. That was all she wrote for La Jolla's scoring for the night, taking home a sweet, devilish win.

Diego Solis contributed two defensive rebounds in the final period. Gal had two defensive rebounds and one off the offensive glass in the initial period, combined with a nice deflection of a shot.